Why Do Accusations Destroy the Reputations of Innocent People Every Day?

Definition of Accusations

A false allegation, can occur as the result of intentional lying, deceit, on the part of the accuser; or unintentionally, by someone who inaccurately, or in error perceives information or events without complete details being known or considered - then jumping to a false conclusion.

What is the Greatest Accusation Ever Hoisted Upon Man?

No, Serpent,

"GOD did NOT lie - YOU did!"

Note:

Adam and Eve should have accepted the blame that is rightfully theirs..

They did disobey GOD's word to them..

Hosea 4.4 “Don’t point your finger at someone else and try to pass the blame to him! Look, I am pointing my finger at you."

The accusation of the Serpent to Eve against GOD...

Genesis 3.1 "The serpent was the craftiest of all the creatures the Lord God had made. So the serpent came to the woman. “Really?” he asked. “None of the fruit in the garden? God says you mustn’t eat any of it?”

“Of course we may eat it,” the woman told him. “It’s only the fruit from the tree at the center of the garden that we are not to eat. God says we mustn’t eat it or even touch it, or we will die.”

“That’s a lie!” the serpent hissed. “You’ll not die! God
knows very well that the instant you eat it you will become like him,
for your eyes will be opened—you will be able to distinguish good from
evil!”

The human race changed because of this "false accusation" against GOD

GOD will be completely vindicated for all the world to see...

How will that happen?

Revelation 12.10 "Then I heard a loud voice
shouting across the heavens, “It has happened at last! God’s salvation
and the power and the rule, and the authority of his Christ are finally
here; for the Accuser of our brothers has been thrown down from heaven
onto earth—he accused them day and night before our God"

Isn't that neat! The ending is good.

How should we respond to accusations?

The great comfort is to realize that GOD has full knowledge of the truth.

Psalms 35.21-24 "They shout that they have seen me doing wrong! “Aha!” they say. “With our own eyes we saw him do it.” Lord, you know all about it. Don’t stay silent! Don’t desert me now!

The amazing lie against Joseph

Joseph sent to prison. But GOD works us through tight places to bring us into His perfect will.

Genesis 37.10

Joseph is accused of wanting to rule over his
parents and brothers.

Genesis 39 " One day at about this time Potiphar’s wife began making eyes at Joseph, and suggested that he come and sleep with her.

8 Joseph refused. “Look,” he told her, “my master trusts me with everything in the entire household; 9 he
himself has no more authority here than I have! He has held back
nothing from me except you yourself because you are his wife. How can I
do such a wicked thing as this? It would be a great sin against God.”

10 But
she kept on with her suggestions day after day, even though he refused
to listen, and kept out of her way as much as possible. 11 Then one day as he was in the house going about his work—as it happened, no one else was around at the time— 12 she came and grabbed him by the sleeve
demanding, “Sleep with me.” He tore himself away, but as he did, his
jacket slipped off and she was left holding it as he fled from the
house. 13 When she saw that she had his jacket, and that he had fled, 14-15 she
began screaming; and when the other men around the place came running
in to see what had happened, she was crying hysterically. “My husband
had to bring in this Hebrew slave to insult us!” she sobbed. “He tried
to rape me, but when I screamed, he ran, and forgot to take his jacket.”

16 She kept the jacket, and when her husband came home that night, 17 she told him her story...

19 Well, when her husband heard his wife’s story, he was furious. 20 He threw Joseph into prison, where the king’s prisoners were kept in chains. 21 But the Lord was with Joseph..

Jesus accused before Pilate

“Pilate then went out to them and said, ’What accusation do you bring against this man?’” John 18:29

How do we react to accusations?

In Nehemiah 6:6-7,
Nehemiah is accused of rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem to rebel against
the king and wanting to become the new king. Not true.

The Bible
calls the devil the ‘accuser of the brethren’ because he is forever
before the Father bringing accusations to condemn us. The devil also
goes through people to intimidate us (Job 1:6-12)

Exodus 5:21, the children of Israel accuse Moses of intentionally
angering Pharaoh to bring more hardship on them. Then, in Exodus 14:11,
after God sets them free from Pharaoh, they accused Moses again of
bringing them to the wilderness just to kill them.

2 Corinthians 10:10, the Apostle Paul is accused of not being an
effective communicator. In the Gospels, Jesus is accused of eating with
sinners, blasphemy, being a false prophet, desiring to become the King
of the Jews and many other things.

When you
are faced with an accusation, first consider whether it is true or
false. If it is true then repent, apologize and do not try to justify
yourself.

Solid Steps Forward...

Don't let accusations cause us to be intimidated

Don't overreact - we usually do when the emotions take over

Respond only if absolutely necessary. Jesus "said not a word." Say nothing.

Always remember that we are fighting a spiritual battle

Pray and "release forgiveness" to the accuser

Let go and let God take over and settle the account

Focus only on truth and facts, do not focus on feelings

The devil brings upheaval in our life for these simple reasons:

To distract us from His purpose in our life

To intimidate us, and have us give up

To discredit us, and destroy, or tarnish our reputation

Psalms 119.7-8 "After you have corrected me, I will thank you by living as I should! 8 I will obey! Oh, don’t forsake me and let me slip back into sin again"